A pure design for raw nature
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland is a natural wonder – an area of around 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, most of which have a distinct hexagonal shape and are the result of a volcanic eruption 60 million years ago.
The tops of the columns, some up to 12 metres high, form stepping stones that lead from the foot of the cliff into the sea. The most visited attraction in Northern Ireland, the Giant’s Causeway’s new visitor centre opened in July 2012 and is now set to become a landmark in its own right thanks to its stunning architecture. The Centre was designed by the leading architects Heneghan Peng. The architects’ vision was to craft a building that nestles into the landscape, mirroring the bold material and geometric lines of the Causeway itself.
The panel that awarded Heneghan Peng the project described the winning design as “exuding simple and quiet monumentality”.
Inside, the building is dominated by polished concrete, glass, steel and oak – all crafted with absolute precision. The result is a composition that looks simple and clean, yet was full of technical challenges.